Since her PhD thesis on Lynch syndrome in 2005, hereditary gastrointestinal tumors remained the main topic of research for Dr. Anja Wagner. She built a successful collaboration with colleagues from the departments of Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Pathology and Epidemiology, that initiated projects on several hereditary gastrointestinal diseases. Together they contributed to successful PhD projects on Lynch syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Pancreatic cancer and others.

The most prominent project, the LIMO-study, was performed in 6 hospitals in the South-West Netherlands and demonstrated that routine tissue screening for Lynch syndrome in all newly diagnosed colorectal and endometrial cancer patients ≤70 years of age, is successful and cost-effective in the detection of Lynch syndrome. Based on this study, the Dutch guideline for hereditary colorectal cancer (IKNL guideline December 2015) was adapted and now includes routine immunohistochemical testing for Lynch syndrome in all newly diagnosed colorectal and endometrial cancer patients ≤70 years of age. Wagner and the LIMO-study group were nominated for this effort for the first science and innovation prize of the Dutch Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS). Currently, Dr. A. Goverde is evaluating the detection of Lynch syndrome by tissue analysis in the Dutch population screening for colorectal cancer (LIMO2-study).

In 2014 a grant was obtained to develop tissue screening to distinguish sporadic hepatoblastoma and medulloma patients from those with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). A paper on this subject has been recently submitted.

Apart from studies on the optimal diagnosis of hereditary gastrointestinal tumors, also counseling and surveillance aspects are a focus of our research. A clinically relevant study was performed to evaluate possible harm of presymptomatic testing of children for FAP at a relatively young age. Also, attitudes towards family planning and informing relatives about a predisposition, both topics of public discussion, have been addressed. The surveillance of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome carriers by Magnetic Resonance Enteroclysis and Double Balloon Enteroscopy was compared and soon Dr. Goverde will present the results of an evaluation of surveillance of Lynch syndrome carriers in our region.